USGBC Testifies Before Congress To Reduce Energy Consumption

• 

  Your Email: *

  Your Name: *

  Send To: *

  Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.

  You are going to email the following: USGBC Testifies Before Congress To Reduce Energy Consumption

  Message Subject: (Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from GreenBiz.com®

  Message Body: (Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from GreenBiz.com®.

  Your Personal Message: *

  CAPTCHA

  Are you human? Thanks for helping us block auto-spammers.

  

  What code is in the image?: *

  Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.
  
• 
• 
• 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) testified before Congress earler this month about the important role of green building in meeting the challenges of global climate change and energy dependence, and the ability of the organization's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating program to deliver results in this area.

The hearing was scheduled by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to learn more about these practices' "benefits to health, the environment, and the bottom line."

Speaking before the committee, Peter Templeton, vice president of education and research for USGBC, stressed the face that the buildings are often overlooked as a solution to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the organization, the building sector is the single largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for 39 percent of the country’s emissions. Green buildings certified by LEED program, on the other hand, use only 20 to 50 percent of the energy that other buildings use, and give off 40 percent fewer carbon emissions as well. Green buildings also conserve water, improve human health, increase productivity, and cost less to maintain and operate, making them a highly cost-effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Committee member Sen. Frank Lautenburg, D-N.J., is sponsoring a bill that would make LEED silver certification the minimum benchmark for all federal buildings in order to reduce the government's "carbon footprint." In addition, 12 federal agencies, including the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), have made commitments to the LEED program. Twenty-two states and 75 local governments have also made promises to use or encourage LEED.

Share: LinkedIn   StumbleUpon   Digg